News
Contributors
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Trump Administration has sent signals that it intends to continue a federal policy promoting shared, versus exclusive-use, spectrum licenses. That’s good news for telecom consumers, according to Womble Bond Dickinson attorney Carri Bennet.
Bennet, who serves as General Counsel to the Rural Wireless Association (RWA), discussed the latest developments on spectrum licensing with Communications Daily. While much is yet to be set in stone, preliminary indications from federal officials are that shared spectrum licenses will remain the preferred approach. This may not sit well with some larger carriers who desire licensed, exclusive-use spectrum, but Bennet said staying the course will benefit consumers and smaller carriers, such as those served by the RWA.
“Concentrating exclusive use of spectrum in the hands of a few is a dangerous path to continue down,” Bennet tells Communications Daily. “It stifles innovation, increases prices for consumers and makes inefficient use of a scarce resource. Sharing spectrum is the future. One only has to look at the use that has been made of unlicensed Wi-Fi routers to provide connectivity to wireless devices.”
Click here to read “Carrier Anxiety Rises as Administration Moves Closer to Share-First Strategy on Spectrum” in Communications Daily (subscription required).
Carri Bennet has more than three decades of experience representing wireline, wireless and broadband communications providers, as well as commercial and noncommercial broadcasters, in regulatory compliance matters. She has a particular focus on advocating for small rural carriers, including serving as General Counsel to the Rural Wireless Association. Bennet represents telecom industry clients before the FCC, state regulatory agencies, the courts, and Congress.
